Springtime Grand Floridian Wedding | Kayley & Derek
Some venues set the stage and then get out of the way. Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is not one of those venues. It is the stage, the backdrop, the atmosphere, and the experience all at once, and Kayley and Derek's Grand Floridian wedding on a beautiful March day at Walt Disney World was everything that description promises and then some.
We are Josh and Taylor, a husband and wife photography and videography team who specialize in Disney weddings, and the Grand Floridian is one of those properties we never get tired of working at. The Victorian elegance, the iconic lobby, the proximity to the Wedding Pavilion, Picture Point, and the Grand Floridian grounds, everything about this resort is designed to make a wedding feel like the most special day of your life. Kayley and Derek leaned into every bit of it and the result was a celebration full of genuine joy, meaningful moments, and a Space Mountain themed cake that stopped us mid edit.
Getting Ready at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort
The morning began with both Kayley and Derek getting ready at the Grand Floridian and the resort's elegant architecture and soft natural light made the getting ready coverage feel effortless from the very first moments of the day.
Kayley got into her gown surrounded by her closest people, laughter, happy tears, and all the quiet excitement of a wedding morning that is finally here. Derek shared his own meaningful moments with his groomsmen as everyone prepared for what was coming. March mornings at the Grand Floridian have a particular quality of light that is hard to describe and even harder to manufacture artificially. Warm, soft, and completely flattering, it made every detail shot and getting ready portrait look like it belonged in a magazine.
Grand Floridian Lobby Portraits
Before the ceremony Kayley and Derek gathered with their loved ones for family and bridal party portraits in the iconic Grand Floridian lobby and it is one of our favorite portrait locations at Walt Disney World for good reason.
Soaring ceilings, glittering chandeliers, intricate Victorian details, and a scale that makes every image feel grand without ever feeling cold, the lobby gives us so much to work with and requires absolutely nothing added to make it feel special. The space is already extraordinary. Our job is simply to make sure the people in front of it look just as good as the architecture behind them.
A Ceremony at Disney's Wedding Pavilion
The ceremony took place at Disney's Wedding Pavilion, the most iconic wedding venue at Walt Disney World and honestly one of the most beautiful ceremony spaces we have ever worked in anywhere.
The light filled Victorian chapel sits on its own private island surrounded by a serene lagoon, accessible by footbridge, with Cinderella Castle framed perfectly through the chapel windows behind the couple as they exchange their vows. We have photographed ceremonies here and that view never loses its impact. Every single time the couple stands at the altar and the castle appears in the background behind them it is a moment that gives you pause no matter how many times you have seen it.
Kayley and Derek exchanged their vows surrounded by the people who matter most to them and the intimacy of the chapel combined with that extraordinary backdrop made for ceremony images that feel both deeply personal and completely magical.
Bubble Send Off and Picture Point Portraits
After the ceremony Kayley and Derek stepped outside the chapel to a whimsical bubble send off that brought an immediate burst of joy and lightness to the celebration. Bubbles, laughter, and that beautiful March Florida sunshine — it was the perfect transition from the ceremony into the rest of the day.
From there we made our way to Picture Point, the iconic portrait location just steps from the Wedding Pavilion with Cinderella Castle rising up in the background. If you are getting married at the Grand Floridian or the Wedding Pavilion, Picture Point is the portrait location. It is the one everyone talks about, the one that appears in every Disney wedding gallery, and for good reason — the combination of the castle, the lagoon, and the manicured grounds creates a backdrop that is simply incomparable. In March light with beautiful weather and a couple as photogenic as Kayley and Derek it was everything we hoped for and more.
An Elegant Reception at the Grand Floridian
As the evening settled in the celebration moved to the Grand Floridian Convention Center and the ballroom delivered exactly what you expect from a Grand Floridian reception — refined, elegant, and full of warmth.
Soft florals, candlelight, and carefully considered details filled the space with Kayley and Derek's vision for a classic and personal Disney wedding celebration. Meaningful toasts, emotional first dances, and a dance floor that stayed full all night long gave the evening the energy and joy it deserved.
And then there was the cake. A Space Mountain themed wedding cake that was as stunning as it was personal — a detail that told you immediately everything you needed to know about who Kayley and Derek are as a couple. Disney fans through and through, celebrating in the most Disney way possible right down to the last slice.
Why We Love a Grand Floridian Wedding
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is in a category entirely its own as a wedding venue. The Victorian elegance of the property, the proximity to the Wedding Pavilion and Picture Point, the iconic lobby for portraits, the ballrooms for receptions — every element of a Grand Floridian wedding is designed to feel extraordinary from start to finish.
What we love most as photographers and videographers is that this venue requires nothing extra to feel special. The Grand Floridian is already breathtaking. Any decor a couple adds just enhances something that is already extraordinary, and the March weather gave us beautiful natural light from the very first moment of the morning through the last portrait of the evening.
If you are planning a Grand Floridian wedding and looking for a photography and videography team who knows this property, understands how to work within the Disney wedding experience, and will show up genuinely invested in telling your story, we would love to be that team. Couples who book JTR Media for their Grand Floridian wedding walk away with imagery that captures not just how beautiful the venue is but how it actually felt to celebrate there!
Planning Your Own Disney Wedding?
If you’re dreaming of a Disney Fairytale Wedding, we’d love to help you capture every magical moment. Contact us today to learn more about our wedding photography and videography services!